Photograph
by xXxVioletSkyxXx
Summary: Percy's gift to Annabeth on her eighteenth birthday turns out to be better received than usual, and before they knew it, a new opportunity arose


**Hey guys! I think I'm going to update every week in masses just because I won't always have internet. I know, tear time indeed. But somehow I will survive. Tell me what you think ;) **

**-Song of choice: Photograph by Nickleback **

**Disclaimer: And no. I have not instantaneously turned into a graying man with seven books under his belt. So no, I don't own PJO or Maximum Ride**

I was sitting alone in my cabin reading

Boring? No, books will be anything but.

I was just about to rescue dear Iggy (Me being Maximum Ride) from that retard of a lady when a note fell on my lap from the open window.

_Hey, meet me at the beach in ten minutes; I have a surprise for you._

_Love, Percy_

He didn't need to sign it, that messy hand could be no others but his. Since I had ten minutes, I could read like ten more chapters before I had to leave.

When my phone alarm went off, I jumped in surprise. My fingers were so tense that the knuckles went white, showing my numerous battle scars. I brushed back the thought as I walked out the door. No time for sympathy in this life.

I wondered what he had got me. Over the years I had received jewelry, love notes, flowers and baking. Not bad for a couple of years; but there wasn't anything else that I needed this year.

When I passed the usual route, I was surprised that he was sitting on the dock. We usually meet beside that big rock and dip our toes in but no. He had to mix things up and screw over the entire system.

"Hey," he said as he spotted me "Come sit down"

I walked up the dock to sit beside my boyfriend.

"Why'd you ask me to meet you here?" I asked, curiosity winning over my somewhat cool façade.

He snapped his fingers and a swirl of water formed into a large book.

"For you" he said, placing it in my hands "Happy birthday Annabeth"

I gaped at him "How'd you find out?"

He shrugged "Wasn't hard. Iris messaged Thalia and she told me. October 12th, right?"

"Yeah… thanks Percy" I said kissing him on the cheek. He smiled

"Better open it before you thank me, Beth"

I grinned and opened the book. It was… it was…

"A photo album?" I asked, my eyes going wide. "How'd you get enough pictures?"

"Chiron had some, your dad had more, and a lot of people just pitched in where they could. "

I flipped open to the first page and saw a baby me. Curly blond hair sticking out this way and that , with sharp grey eyes examining the camera lens. By the looks of things, it was a scrapbook, with pictures and drawings alike. Little finger paintings and stickers.

"How…" I asked, my mind for once lost for words.

"It took a long time but I had a lot of help. Your eighteenth birthday present had to be special"

When I took a second glance, it wasn't just me in these photos, there was another. One very particular other with dark, crazy hair.

"Is that _you_?" I asked, my hands over my mouth in delight "Percy, you were so _cute!_"

He fidgeted with nerves "Yeah, that's me. I'm a bit older though, cause I was born two months and six days before you"

I playfully slapped him upside the head.

"This isn't just yours, it's _ours;_ growing up till now. But I left space in the back for more memories as they come."

I flipped the page to an old picture of Thalia, Luke and I. A couple of months after I ran away.

I gasped

"Annabeth?" he asked, rubbing my back "What's wrong?"

"Noth…nothing" I feigned a smile "Nothing's wrong. It was just… Us. My family when I was little."

I pretended a tear didn't slide down my cheek

"Come here" he said, pulling me into a hug "It's going to be alright Beth. I won't let your past hurt you anymore. Your heart is going to heal, but until then, I can't love you. The feeling has to be mutual. "

I wiped away the stray tear with defiance "I do love you Percy. Sometimes things start a trigger, that explodes into an avalanche of feelings. I just miss him, miss them. They're my family"

"But were your family too, Annabeth; Camp Half-Blood, _me_. We love you too much for you to be hurting like this." Percy said, passing me the album. "Here, take it, and read it when you're ready. Because _this_" he said gesturing to my eyes "Isn't going to help anyone. Love you, Annabeth. Have a great birthday"

With that, he kissed me, got up and walked back to camp.

I reopened the scrapbook

My entire life was bound in those pages. Me and Percy as babies (apparently my dad lied) first tooth, kid drawings, Thalia and Luke, Percy and me. Chiron and I when we first met, Thalia's pine, Thalia, Luke and I when we got claimed on Olympus, Percy in the infirmary, The Stoll twins stealing my hat, My first duel… it just went on and on. As I flipped towards the back, I saw Percy's shroud with him hiding behind a tree, a charcoal drawing of Percy and my first kiss, and Camp Half-Blood fighting hoards of monsters in the Battle of the Labyrinth. I saw sad pictures too, drawings of the Titan War, and the drakon that killed Silena. One of my favourite photos was of Percy and I sitting at the Poseidon Table, me throwing my hands around his neck and kissing him to stop him from stutteringly asking me out. The next few were the mob picking us up and throwing us in the lake. A drawing of our underwater kiss made me shiver. But it brought back good memories too. The next twenty or so photos and drawings were about the fight with Gaea and the Seven of the Prophesy. Those made me wince, but the photo of us after the last war made me proud. We survived this long, and deserved to live for this life forced upon us.

Percy was right, times are hard and people leave. But that opens a opportunity to let someone new in. Someone who will mend your broken heart and love you forever.

Percy would never leave me. His actions have shown as much. He_ will_ love me forever and _is_ repairing my hearts burns and sores with himself. He loves me.

Loves me too much to say

So I ran back to camp, leaving the scrapbook on the dock. I ran until I smashed into him. Percy turned around in surprise, his hand instinctively clutching his pen, but I smiled and kissed him. The entire camp, including Chiron, who had been talking to him, began cheering.

He spun me around and kissed me back.

"Oh, Annabeth," He whispered into my ear "Happy Birthday darling"

**AWWW! I loved this chapter. Tell me what you think**

**-Silence Nevermore**


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